Breaking! Court Orders Temporary Forfeiture of Patience Jonathan’s $5.8m

Patience Jonathan

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday granted a fresh ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ordering the forfeiture of $5.8 million belonging to a former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

The new order was granted 24 hours after the EFCC withdrew a pending application for stay of the court’s judgment which had earlier unfrozen Jonathan’s account.

Justice Olatoregun, had on April 6, 2017, unfroze Patience Jonathan’s account with Skye Bank, after her lawyer, challenged EFCC for joining her in a suit that she was not a party, and urged the court to unfreeze his client’s account.

Not satisfied with the unfreeze order, the EFCC filed an application for stay of execution of the unfreeze order and also appealed the lower court’s decision.

At the resumed hearing of the matter, yesterday, EFCC’s lawyer informed Justice Olatoregun  of the agency’s intention to discontinue the two applications.

Following an application by the EFCC, Justice Olatoregun ordered that the account of the former First Lady be frozen.

More details later…